BYD Atto 3 UK first drive 2023

The Atto 3 will be offered in three trim levels in the UK but with a single spec, featuring a 201bhp motor and a battery with 60.5kWh usable capacity. That gives a decent official range of 261 miles and efficiency of 3.98 miles per kWh. We averaged closer to 3.2mpkWh on our test route in cold weather.

Speaking of cold weather, the Atto 3 features a heat pump as standard, which isn’t common in this class. In fact, there’s plenty of standard kit. Base-level Active models feature heated front seats, a panoramic sunroof and a vehicle-to-load output.

Base-spec models only get a 7kW charger, while mid-spec Comfort machines feature an 11kW unit. On a DC charger, the Atto 3 can be charged at a maximum of 88kW.

If the exterior is inoffensive, BYD’s designers have clearly had more fun on the interior, and in a very good way: everything feels pleasant and there’s real character, with just the right amount of quirk. The dominant feature is the touchscreen, which on our top-spec Design trim model measured a whopping 15.6in. It has a party trick, too: it can rotate from landscape to portrait. It’s a neat touch, but probably the sort of thing you’ll play with a few times and then decide which you prefer.

The infotainment system is generally intuitive and well designed, with the key functions easy to access without jabbing your way through loads of sub-menus. Pleasingly, there are a handful of physical buttons to access key functions, too, and voice control, if you like such things.

Elsewhere, the drive info display is clear and the main driver controls are well laid out. The design of the air vents – they’ve upright rings that look like you could rack your old CD collection in them – may be an acquired taste – and the interior door handles are located on the speakers, which is a bit odd. Lower down, the side of the door bins feature ropes strung like guitar strings. They’re perfectly effective, but if you have kids, expect to get thoroughly bored of them being loudly twanged on long journeys.

Still, the kids will be happy by the amount of space in the rear of the car. By contrast, at 440 litres, the boot is a little on the small side for this class of car: it’s 35 litres smaller than that of a Niro EV, for example.

On the road, the Atto 3 is, well, disarmingly unassuming. It is exactly what you’d want an electric family SUV to be: acceleration is swift but not exceptional, while the steering is responsive if a little unengaging. There are various drive modes and a few levels of brake regeneration, although there isn’t a full one-pedal function, and as is often the case with EVs, the brakes lack a touch of feel. It certainly rides well on bumpy UK roads, soaking up imperfections and lumps to make for a pleasingly smooth ride.

The Atto 3 is priced from £36,490, rising to £38,990 for the top-spec Design model we tested. That’s competitive for this class of car, although it’s notable that BYD clearly hasn’t set out to significantly undercut rivals to claim market share. The firm has yet to disclose what finance deals will be on offer and, as ever, much will depend on those monthly payments. For that money, you get a thoroughly decent, pleasant electric family SUV. Perhaps the biggest knock on the Atto 3 is that there isn't really a pressing reason to tempt a UK buyer away from a more familiar brand. Then again, if a buyer wanders into an actual, physical BYD dealership, they won't find anything to scare them off.